


60 Days Since Case One

by AnExhaustedArmadillo



Series: Case One [19]
Category: Band of Brothers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Angst, M/M, Suspense, or at least an attempt at it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-23
Updated: 2019-12-23
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:48:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21913186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnExhaustedArmadillo/pseuds/AnExhaustedArmadillo
Summary: “Ron?”“Lipton?” Speirs asked incredulously, lowering his guard and rubbing his eyes in the light.
Relationships: Carwood Lipton/Ronald Speirs
Series: Case One [19]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1438132
Comments: 4
Kudos: 15





	60 Days Since Case One

Speirs had virtually no frame of reference for how long he’d been locked in the small room. His best guess was that it had been a couple of days since Lipton had been tortured in front of him. He hadn’t been fed in that time period, nor had he been fed much the days prior, and he’d only been given a meager supply of water, designed to keep him alive, not satiated. He felt weak, and his stomach churned endlessly. He figured this was just the next step in getting him to break.

Speirs wasn’t terribly concerned about being hungry- he’d faced worse during his time in the military. He was worried, however, about what would happen if they threatened Lipton’s life. Shelton definitely seemed crazy enough to go through with whatever threats he made. Speirs didn’t want to be part of the fucked up community that was holding them hostage, but he would do it in a heartbeat if it would mean keeping Lipton alive. He just hoped Shelton hadn’t realized that yet.

Why Shelton was so insistent that he and Lipton join the community was beyond him. It made sense that Shelton wouldn’t want them to go free. If they needed manpower then it made sense that Shelton hadn’t killed them. But the explanation for their captivity that Speirs thought made the most sense was that Shelton was just a sadist who took advantage of any opportunity he had to torture people. The apocalypse was just the most convenient excuse to cause harm.

Speirs sighed and rearranged himself in his cell so that he was lying on his side. He hadn’t done much more than sleep the past few days, letting his mind wander aimlessly when he was awake. The hunger he felt kept him from trying to occupy himself physically. Sometimes it was all he could focus on, so sleeping was the easiest alternative. Ironically, he was somehow too tired to sleep, so he lay there, eyes trained on the floor, for what felt like an eternity.

Just as Speirs could feel his eyes closing out of exhaustion, he heard a jostling at the door, as if someone was trying to unlock it. Groggily, he stood, raising his fists so he’d be ready for whatever came through the door. He worried it was another walker sent to test him, one that he wouldn’t be strong enough to fight off. Then he thought that it might be Shelton again, coming to torture him himself. Speirs steeled himself as best he could as the door opened and bright light streamed into the room.

“Ron?”

“Lipton?” Speirs asked incredulously, lowering his guard and rubbing his eyes in the light.

“Yeah, it’s me,” Lipton assured him quietly, then he stepped into the room. “Someone put bobby pins in my food. I used them to pick the locks, but we have to go before someone finds out.” Lipton reached for Speirs’ arm to pull him along, but Ron hesitated.

“Wait,” He said. “Someone put bobby pins in your food?”

“Yeah,” Lipton confirmed.

“How do we know this isn’t a trap?”

“We don’t.” Lipton said grimly, and it sounded like he’d already considered that. “But we can’t just stay here.” That was a point Speirs didn’t want to argue with. He followed Lipton out of the building, trying his best to remember the layout of the community.

It was dark outside, evidently sometime late in the night. Speirs blinked as he looked at the moon, then jumped when a voice to his left spoke out.

“Finally, I thought you’d never make it out of there,” Said a blond man with a slight hint of exasperation in his voice. Speirs lunged at the man, hands wrapping around his throat as he shoved him against the building. The man put his hands up in surrender.

“Easy,” He wheezed out, struggling to breathe around Speirs’ hands. “I’m the one.... who put the… bobby pins… in your….”

“Ron,” Lipton said gently, putting his hand on Speirs’ shoulder and urging him to let go, which he did after a second. The stranger fell to the ground, gasping for breath.

“Why?” Ron seethed. “Why would you do that?”

“Because,” The kid coughed. “What Snafu’s doing ain’t right.”

“Snafu?” Lipton asked.

“Shelton,” He corrected. “We call him Snafu.” Lipton looked at Ron, who was shaking his head.

“We can’t trust him,” He said.

“What are we supposed to do?” Lipton asked incredulously. “Kill him?” Speirs didn’t think that was such an overreach.

“You _can’t_ kill me. You need me,” The kid assured them slowly standing from where he’d been keeled over on the ground. “That’s why I was waiting for you, I can lead you out.”

“If this is a trap-,” Ron snapped at him, but Lipton intervened.

“If it’s a trap then we’re dead anyway,” He looked at the stranger. “What’s your name, kid?”

“Blithe. Albert Blithe,” The kid said.

“Well, Blithe,” Lipton said. “Lead the way.”

The community was somehow bigger than Ron had previously remembered. They moved as quickly as they could, but it was slow going. There were guards patrolling many of the roads, and they had to hide every time they heard footsteps, something Blithe was, admittedly, a major help in.

“Get down!” Blithe hissed, and he yanked Lipton and Speirs behind a tall building where they crouched close to the ground. Speirs let the back of his head fall against the wall of the building and he closed his eyes. He felt Lipton staring at him, could feel the concern oozing out of him. The three of them remained silent, holding their breath as they waited for the guards to pass. After a moment of intense waiting, they got back on their way, ducking through houses and streets to the edge of the community.

“Are you okay?” Lipton whispered, clearly anxious about Ron’s less than strong condition.

“I’m fine,” Ron reassured him. “Just tired.” He didn’t say anything when Lipton wrapped his hand around Speirs’ elbow, steadying him effectively and acting as his support as they continued on. It took them longer than it should have to reach the wall of the community. It looked like a dead end. They wouldn’t be able to get out because the only entrance was guarded day and night.

“What now?” Ron said, still not trusting Blithe completely.

“It’s right here,” Blithe said, and he lifted up a part of the wall that had split off from the rest, revealing the surrounding suburb. “They patrol around here daily, so you better get the Hell out of dodge if you know what’s good for you. And make sure you’re careful while you’re still close to the wall, the guards at the top of the wall might see you.”

“Blithe,” Lipton said. “Why don’t you come with us?”

“Nah. At least I know what’s in here- I don’t like my odds out there. Besides,” Blithe grinned a little. “I better stay here in case I need to save any other sons of bitches stupid enough to say no to Snafu.”

“But-” Lipton began to argue, undoubtedly about to raise some point about Blithe getting found out. He was cut off by a furious scream in the distance.

“You have to go,” Blithe insisted. “I think that means they just found out you’re gone.”

Lights began to fill the air in the distance, and voices could be heard yelling urgently to each other. Speirs pushed Lipton through the gap in the wall first, then he started to step through before pausing for a moment.

“Thank you,” He said, and Blithe smiled.

“Anytime,” And with that he was gone, disappearing into the darkness as the angry voices grew closer and closer. Ron was pulled out of the hole in the wall by Lipton and the two of them took off at a run.

The suburbs eventually transitioned to a rural landscape, which didn’t offer them the shelter of the city, but it was unlikely that Shelton would look for them there. They kept moving, their dead sprint dwindling into a more sustainable pace. They didn’t stop until the sun began to rise over a field of corn.

**Author's Note:**

> Ahahahah I did it! Managed to get this baby done.
> 
> Consider commenting. It is the holiday season, after all, and your comments are definitely the best gift I could get <3\. Thanks to everyone who's read the story so far!


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